Beef Neck Bones!!! What the heck is a Beef Neck Bone you may ask and do you actually eat them?!?!? Oh my, yes! Well to be totally honest, I never made this meal before my “country as buttermilk” daddy moved back in with me. I asked him to tell me his favorite meal because I wanted to make it for him. I had an inkling that it would be country…lol! To take it the meal over the top, he requested mixed turnip and mustard greens, pinto beans and hot water cornbread! Wow! If that isn’t country, I don’t know what is!!! And if you haven’t figured it out yet, beef neck bones are from the neck of the cow. 🙂
However, some of the toughest cuts of beef, such as the bony neck, are also the most richly flavored. They require long, slow cooking to tenderize the dense muscles and stringy connective tissues, but that's a good thing. It gives plenty of time for the bones to lend flavor to the sauce and for the collagen from the connective tissues to melt, imparting body and a rich mouth feel. You can use beef neck bones in any recipe calling for shanks or oxtail, but most involve simmering them in a sauce or other cooking liquid.Yes, they require a little time to make them tender and flavorful, but it’s definitely worth the effort—plus they’re much cheaper than many other cuts of meat.
This recipe turns a lesser-used cut of meat into a thing of beauty. First they get seared in batches to form a nice crust, and then the beef is braised in a mixture of red wine, stock, and other ingredients and comes out rich and extremely tender. This would be perfectly paired with a nice bowl of sticky country rice and Pinto Beans or simple mashed potatoes.Over the years, I have perfected his favorite meal. It is always on the menu for New Year’s Day! You eat black eyed peas for New Year’s, we eat pinto beans!
PREP TIME- 10 mins
COOK TIME- 2 hours 50 mins
TOTAL TIME- 3 hours
Serves: 6 to 8 servings
INGREDIENTS
Grapeseed oil, for searing (or any other neutral oil)
4 pounds beef neck bones
Kosher salt, to taste
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon black pepper½ cup red wine
1 cup unsalted beef stock
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 325˚F.Heat some oil over medium to medium-high heat in a Dutch oven (or other large, oven-proof pot). Sprinkle all sides of the beef with some salt and sear, in batches, until browned; set aside. (You might need to add more oil as you go through the batches of meat.)In the same pot that you seared the meat in, add the onion (with more oil, if needed), sprinkle with some salt, and cook until the onion begins to soften, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the garlic cloves, tomato paste, thyme, and pepper, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Deglaze with the red wine by scraping up the stuff on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.Add the reserved beef neck bones and beef stock to the pot, bring it to simmer, cover, and put in the oven to braise until fork tender, about 2 hours 30 minutes.
Say Grace and enjoy!!